Intellectual Ventures Generated $700 Million In Revenues In 2010

Intellectual property licensing outfit Intellectual Ventures has generated $700 million in licensing revenue in 2010, and $2 billion to date.

Intellectual Ventures was founded by former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold with an ambitious plan to, as the company's tagline puts it, "invest in invention." The concept is "venture capital for ideas", meaning investing in patents that could pay off hugely one day.

Many people decry Intellectual Ventures as a patent troll however (see here for example on respected VC Brad Feld's blog), buying up patent portfolios and shaking down big companies for licensing arrangements.